HEMMER: Nine hundred pages. Is there any one piece of evidence inside
this report that you believe could be a smoking gun that may have
prevented what happened on 9/11?

SHELBY: Bill, I don't believe that there's a huge smoking gun, but
there's a lot of evidence and a lot of information that if put
together at the proper time ... collectively perhaps could have made a
difference.

HEMMER: Sen. Bob Graham, a Democrat out of Florida, has been quite
critical and talks about a number of areas that have been left out. He
calls it "unnecessarily blanked out" -- a 28-page section of this
report. How fair is that assessment, sir?

SHELBY: I think that's a fair assessment. I've worked with Sen. Graham
and Congresswoman [Nancy] Pelosi and Congressman [Porter] Goss
regarding all of this investigation. I can tell you, I believe, my own
judgment is, that they could have declassified a lot more of this
report and let the American people see it.

HEMMER: Do you think in that case that we're not getting the full
story?

SHELBY: You're not getting all of the story. You're getting a lot of
it, but I can tell you you're getting more than bits and pieces, and
the American people will put most of it together.

HEMMER: There is an intelligence briefing that the president received
on August 6, 2001. That apparently was redacted as well. What is the
damage? What is the harm out there within the intelligence community
to put this information into this report and make it public?

SHELBY: Well, there's always the risk that you can declassify too
much. In other words, you give away sources and methods, and you don't
want to do that, and you don't want to put anybody in harm's way that
would have contributed to the intelligence success. On the other hand,
where it's just going to be embarrassing and perhaps people just don't
want to get out front on it, I think the American people have a right
to know.

HEMMER: What is your assessment then? Would this have been
embarrassing to the government, or is this something that needs to be
protected? Your conclusion on that is what?

SHELBY: Well, my judgment is that, not all of it, but a lot more could
be declassified. I can't talk about the details.



From CNN, 7/24/03:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/24/cnna.shelby/

Shelby: More of 9/11 report should be public

(CNN) --

A congressional report on the intelligence failures before the
September 11 attacks, due to be released Thursday, is expected to
criticize the FBI and CIA, among other agencies, and highlight
possible missed opportunities to prevent the deadly terror plot.

Officials said the report details how several men who had been under
earlier FBI scrutiny had dealings with 9/11 hijackers Khalid Almihdhar
and Nawaf Alhazmi while they were staying in San Diego, California.

U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, former chairman of the Senate
Intelligence Committee, spoke Thursday with CNN anchor Bill Hemmer
about the investigation's purpose and findings.

____________________________________________________

What was blanked out and why was it blanked out?

Harry